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CTAHR extension agent Glen Fukumoto and CTAHR Dean Andrew Hashimoto at this year's food show held on June 21st at the Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Kamuela.
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“A Taste of the Hawaiian Range” is a food celebration initiated in the paniolo town of Waimea on the Big Island by CTAHR’s Glen Fukumoto, Michael DuPonte, Burt Smith, and Milton Yamasaki in 1996. As a companion event to our Cooperative Extension Service’s Mealani Forage Field Day, the feast is part of a program designed to educate people about locally produced agricultural products.
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| Mealani Research Station Manager Milton Yamasaki, guest speaker Jolene Brown, CSP, and Kona Extension Agent Glen Fukumoto during a Mealani Forage Field Day break. |
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Producers take interest in the diverse forage collection at the Mealani Research Station. Many ranchers have been very interested in the perennial peanut (Arachis pintoi) as potential nitrogen-fixing legume for incorporation into their pasture systems |
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It started as a small event, but in its short history it has taken off and has grown to be one of Hawaii’s premier food shows, giving the public an opportunity to sample “designer” recipe creations using forage-fed meats and specialty meat products prepared by Hawaii’s finest chefs. Forage-grown beef, bison, lamb, veal, mutton, pork, chicken, crayfish, and the famous “Kohala mountain oysters,” all raised on the Big Island, have been featured in the show. In the past seven years, chefs from over 65 different resorts and restaurants have participated.
According to Fukumoto, lead event coordinator, attendance for this year’s food show was slightly down in numbers due to a whirlwind of community activities in June. Still, over 1,000 food-lovers gathered at the Hawaii Preparatory Academy on June 21 for samplings of sensational recipes by chefs from 24 restaurants, as well as a look at the wares of 14 vendors. With fabulous displays by the farmer of “Kamuela Grown” products, the Big Island Farm Bureau, Hawaii Natural Meats, Inc., Hawaii Cattlemen’s Association, the Tropical Fruit Grower’s Association, and the Hawaii County 4-H Livestock Program and music by “Bosco, the One-Man Band,” this event was truly a feast—for the eyes and ears as well as the taste buds!
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| Hardworking CTAHR volunteers prepare to greet the hundreds of food-lovers that will pass through the registration tables before the evening is over. |
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Plans are already in the works for next year, says Fukumoto. “We are trying to expand our partnership with the tourist industry on the Kohala Coast, as well as with the independent restaurant businesses. We have discussed the possibility of holding our 2003 event in the fall and creating a Big Island Agricultural Festival. The idea is to give our visitors and kama‘aina a different experience by including ranch and farm tours, seminars, and farmers’ markets in the event. It’s still in the idea stage—we’ll see were it takes us.”
Fukumoto hopes that these activities and events will contribute to a revival of the beef cattle and grazing industry in Hawaii. The industry has been on a steady decline over the past 20 years, but he senses so much optimism about the great products from Big Island producers that he believes the grazing-related industry can become a strong stimulus for the island’s economy. Besides the economic contribution to their communities, ranchers who raise livestock on forage grasses and legumes have dedicated themselves to preserving and improving the land. Their environmental stewardship creates a sustainable forage ecosystem, which allows for continuous production while preserving wildlife habitats and maintaining open vistas for all to enjoy.
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| Meat products from forage-fed livestock have a robust and meaty flavor, and chefs with highly discriminating tastes like this one from the Waikoloa Hilton have rated them excellent for quality and tenderness. |
One had to be either very lucky or very patient to get a taste of these sugar-coated treats! If there wasn't a line in front of the Tex Drive-In booth, it meant they ran out of their famous malasadas and were cooking up another batch. |
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Animals raised in a low-stress environment, such as open range, are healthier, and research has shown that forage-based meats, eggs, and milk are lower in fat and cholesterol and higher in omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs). Adequate amounts of omega-3s lower the risks of many types of mental disorders, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and some types of cancer. CLAs have been shown to reduce the risks of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and several immune disorders. The keynote speaker at the 2000 Mealani Forage Field Day, Ms. Jo Robinson, author of Why Grassfed is Best!, explores these and other topics in her Web site, www.eatwild.com.
Thus “A Taste of the Hawaiian Range” is about more than forage-finished meats, talented chefs, and great food—it is a showcase of the Big Island’s agriculture and the pride of its people. The hard work of the CTAHR faculty involved and their collaborators in the Big Island livestock and resort industries has created a unique opportunity to fulfill CTAHR’s vision of strengthening the communities we serve.
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Posted August 13, 2002
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